Fifteen years after the Last War devastated families and infrastructure, women have taken over under the banner of peace and equality. Only too late do they realize it's a slippery slope to oppression. In RUN Ragged, Rhia, a strong and independent sea captain finds herself trapped in The Center,
Description:
Date Published: November 2015
Fifteen years after the Last War devastated families and infrastructure, women have taken over under the banner of peace and equality. Only too late do they realize it's a slippery slope to oppression. In RUN Ragged, Rhia, a strong and independent sea captain finds herself trapped in The Center, a re-education facility designed to help people fit into the rules of the new matriarchal society. The warden claims to be guiding those in her care, but Rhia quickly sees the cracks in the system. Faced with the terrifying torture and brainwashing the warden inflicts, those cracks become gaping holes that threaten to pull Rhia down into the depths of despair. Can she resist this slow subversion and become the reluctant hero the inmates need?
RUN Ragged is a suspenseful second story by the award-winning author of Women's Work. It's a disturbing look at what price we are willing to pay for peace and how much we are willing to ignore to keep our conscience clear.
Kari Aguila was the recipient of an IndieReader Discovery Award for her first novel, Women's Work. Her stories are gripping and thought-provoking looks at gender stereotypes and relationships set in a dystopic future. She is also an avid gardener, outdoor enthusiast, and mother of three. Aguila lives in Seattle with her family, and loves meeting with Book Clubs, Wine Clubs, or Book Clubs with Wine. RUN Ragged is her second novel.
"So when most of the men were dead, women saw their chance to take over?" Kate searches her son's eyes as he asks this. "Not take over," she says. "Fix things." It wasn't hard to justify what the women had done since the end of the Last War. They rebuilt their bombed-out neighborhoods as best they could and tried to establish peace and gender equality. But small groups of men roam the country, viciously indicating that the pendulum may have swung too far. When a bedraggled man shows up on Kate's doorstep one night, will she risk everything to help him? Does he deserve her help?Women's Work is set in a dystopic world in the Pacific Northwest, where women struggle to survive through sustenance farming, clever engineering, and a deeply rooted sisterhood. Kate and her family are led through a journey from anger and fear to forgiveness and hope. It is a compelling story that challenges all of us to question traditional gender roles and to confront the fragility of love.
About the author:
Kari Aguila was the recipient of an IndieReader Discovery Award for her first novel, Women's Work. Her stories are gripping and thought-provoking looks at gender stereotypes and relationships set in a dystopic future. She is also an avid gardener, outdoor enthusiast, and mother of three. Aguila lives in Seattle with her family, and loves meeting with Book Clubs, Wine Clubs, or Book Clubs with Wine. RUN Ragged is her second novel.
Website ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter ** KickStarter Campaing
Cover Reveal - Welcome to Cyrene, a city where energy is currency and music is the lifeblood of its young citizens. Everyone lives on the grid, and the residents of the world’s largest playground are encouraged to pursue every physical and emotional pleasure imaginable.
Description:Publication date: November 10th, 2015
Welcome to Cyrene, a city where energy is currency and music is the lifeblood of its young citizens. Everyone lives on the grid, and the residents of the world’s largest playground are encouraged to pursue every physical and emotional pleasure imaginable.
Vee is the lead singer of the Sugar Skulls, an all-girl band that is Corporate’s newest pet project. Micah haunts the city like a ghost after an overdose of a deadly illegal street drug knocks him off the grid. When Micah and Vee forge an immediate, undeniable connection, their troubled worlds collide.
Trading concert stages for Cyrene’s rooftops and back alleys, they have to evade vicious thugs and Vee’s possessive manager as they unravel the mysteries connected to their dark pasts. And before the curtain falls, Micah and Vee will bring the city to its knees in their desperate bid for love, home, and a future together.
EXCERPT
If strings ran up my spine, she just plucked the high E, a fierce vibration that shakes me to my core.
She looks away, and quakes subside into mere tremors. Propping myself up against the bar, I abandon my drink to process the last few seconds.
All these months, there’s been nothing. But just now? I felt it. I feel it. I pulse with life, lightning dancing across my skin as she batters the crowd with furious verses.
But I’m stuck on that first gasp.
One note. One word. She laid me low and resurrected me in one fell swoop.
Who is this girl?
About the authors:
Lisa Mantchev is the acclaimed author of Ticker and the Théâtre Illuminata series, which includes Eyes Like Stars, nominated for a Mythopoeic Award and the Andre Norton Award. She has also published numerous short stories in magazines, including Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, Weird Tales, and Fantasy. She lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State with her husband, children, and horde of furry animals. Visit her online at:
When not working on puzzles for Penny Press or writing about them for PuzzleNation, Glenn Dallas is an author of short stories and at least half of one novel.
After appearing in the acknowledgments of several outstanding novels, he looks forward to returning the favor in the future.
Cover Reveal organized by Xpresso Book Tours
With her criminal record, sixteen-year-old Char is never going to get a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect Earth’s survivors. The Arks are reserved for the real goody-goodies, like Char’s mom, dad, and brother, all of whom have long since turned their backs on her.
Publication date: March 26th, 2015
There’s a meteor headed for Earth, and there is only one way to survive.
With her criminal record, sixteen-year-old Char is never going to get a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect Earth’s survivors. The Arks are reserved for the real goody-goodies, like Char’s mom, dad, and brother, all of whom have long since turned their backs on her.
With Earth on the brink of destruction, Char must use all her tricks of the trade to swindle her way into outer space, where she hopes to reunite with her family, regardless of whether they want to see her or not.
Once she arrives on the North American Ark, Char discovers that the remnants of humanity haven’t achieved the egalitarian utopia they’d planned for. For starters, the “Officers of the Peace” are anything but peaceful, especially since stealing a spot on an Ark is a crime punishable by death…
Thank you so much for having me! I’m a fan of your site.
1. We all know about the biblical Ark of Noah and its significance. What made you choose this starting point for your story?
It’s a story about survival and redemption, so it felt like the perfect fit for the character I wanted to write- someone who is struggling to find herself. I’m also fascinated with the idea that certain things were able to be salvaged in the flood/meteor, along with people, and I had a lot of fun thinking through what things we would save from modern-day earth, and at what cost. It’s the idea that humanity can start over again, just like Char wants to do, but are we just going to make the same mistakes the next time around?
2. Tell us about Char’s family relationship and why did you constructed such a premise?
Char is trying to find herself. Because of the bad decisions she’s made, she struggles with some anger that she doesn’t entirely understand. As she explains in the book, a lot of it comes from trying– and failing– to meet her parents’ unrealistic and superficial expectations for her life. Char is fiercely independent, but not as much as she thinks she is, and because of Char’s resentment, her parents’ influence over her life is probably going to be more apparent to the reader than to Char herself.
When I wrote the book, I was pregnant with my first child, a girl, and I thought, here’s this person I’ve never met, and I love her so much it hurts. I would do anything for her. What if that’s not enough? What if she can’t find her way in the world despite my dead-level best efforts?
So I created Char, another girl I fell in love with, and gave her all the “flaws” I’m most afraid of. She doesn’t see the world in black and white. She doesn’t follow rules she can’t make sense of. These are fantastic qualities, and if Char uses her considerable talents for good, they will serve her well. Eventually.
3. From what I read, in Ark we will find some blurred lines between good and bad (persons). What bring these grey areas to the story and how hard is to keep them “under control”?
I’m so glad you noticed! I wanted my characters to be a mix of good and bad because that’s how people are. Of course, some are much more good than bad! It’s easiest to do this when you really think about things from a particular character’s point of view- what does the Commander truly want, for example? That’s a question I get into in the next book, and it goes a long way toward explaining his extreme behavior.
4. What a girl author could do to write a SF “readeable” by boys? Where Ark stands from this point of view?
Great question.
You have to tell the story in the way that makes the most sense for that particular story. All this worry about gender is just going to sidetrack you and potentially add to any self-doubts you might already be facing. So what if you have a romance in an action novel? Or a chase scene in a romance? There are male and female fans of books that feature both.
As to where The Ark fits in with all this, I tried to tell the most exciting, realistic story I possibly could, given the wildness of the premise. That meant making my characters as well-rounded as possible in spite of my love of action and adventure. I don’t think there’s a single meaningful rule you can follow that will earn you male readers. If you look at the best and most popular sci-fi novels of all time, they don’t have a lot in common as far as content. It’s one of the things that make this genre so exciting. Many, but not all, feature a problematic romance, like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Hunger Games, and 1984. Those books have tons of male readers. It’s the same with action scenes. So if it makes your story stronger, go for it.
5. What are the negative and positive aspects of using a cliffhanger and can you, please, tell us if and/or when to expect a next book?
The negative: Welp, this is an easy one. People do not respond super well to cliffhangers. That’s just a quick warning to any aspiring writers out there, as well as my future self. I love my readers SO MUCH, and the thought of letting them down in any way is really hard on me. So I can say that you should not expect another cliffhanger from me anytime soon.
That being said, I honestly didn’t think I was ending The Ark on a true cliffhanger when I wrote it. At the time, I really believed that the most important part of the story- Char’s internal journey, her fight with herself- was resolved, so it would be fine to leave an external plot thread dangling.
All this to say, I’m doubly excited to pick up where I left off! I can’t wait for Char to go back into battle.
As far as what’s next for the series: The Ark is a planned trilogy. My amazing editor at HarperVoyager has since changed the title on Amazon to make this clear. She’s the best! The next book will be out in 2016, and I can’t wait to share its title with you soon.
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful questions! This has been really fun.
MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you so much for having me! I’m a fan of your site.
1. We all know about the biblical Ark of Noah and its significance. What made you choose this starting point for your story?
It’s a story about survival and redemption, so it felt like the perfect fit for the character I wanted to write- someone who is struggling to find herself. I’m also fascinated with the idea that certain things were able to be salvaged in the flood/meteor, along with people, and I had a lot of fun thinking through what things we would save from modern-day earth, and at what cost. It’s the idea that humanity can start over again, just like Char wants to do, but are we just going to make the same mistakes the next time around?
2. Tell us about Char’s family relationship and why did you constructed such a premise?Char is trying to find herself. Because of the bad decisions she’s made, she struggles with some anger that she doesn’t entirely understand. As she explains in the book, a lot of it comes from trying– and failing– to meet her parents’ unrealistic and superficial expectations for her life. Char is fiercely independent, but not as much as she thinks she is, and because of Char’s resentment, her parents’ influence over her life is probably going to be more apparent to the reader than to Char herself.
When I wrote the book, I was pregnant with my first child, a girl, and I thought, here’s this person I’ve never met, and I love her so much it hurts. I would do anything for her. What if that’s not enough? What if she can’t find her way in the world despite my dead-level best efforts?
So I created Char, another girl I fell in love with, and gave her all the “flaws” I’m most afraid of. She doesn’t see the world in black and white. She doesn’t follow rules she can’t make sense of. These are fantastic qualities, and if Char uses her considerable talents for good, they will serve her well. Eventually.
I’m so glad you noticed! I wanted my characters to be a mix of good and bad because that’s how people are. Of course, some are much more good than bad! It’s easiest to do this when you really think about things from a particular character’s point of view- what does the Commander truly want, for example? That’s a question I get into in the next book, and it goes a long way toward explaining his extreme behavior.
4. What a girl author could do to write a SF “readeable” by boys? Where Ark stands from this point of view?
Great question.
You have to tell the story in the way that makes the most sense for that particular story. All this worry about gender is just going to sidetrack you and potentially add to any self-doubts you might already be facing. So what if you have a romance in an action novel? Or a chase scene in a romance? There are male and female fans of books that feature both.
As to where The Ark fits in with all this, I tried to tell the most exciting, realistic story I possibly could, given the wildness of the premise. That meant making my characters as well-rounded as possible in spite of my love of action and adventure. I don’t think there’s a single meaningful rule you can follow that will earn you male readers. If you look at the best and most popular sci-fi novels of all time, they don’t have a lot in common as far as content. It’s one of the things that make this genre so exciting. Many, but not all, feature a problematic romance, like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Hunger Games, and 1984. Those books have tons of male readers. It’s the same with action scenes. So if it makes your story stronger, go for it.
5. What are the negative and positive aspects of using a cliffhanger and can you, please, tell us if and/or when to expect a next book?
The negative: Welp, this is an easy one. People do not respond super well to cliffhangers. That’s just a quick warning to any aspiring writers out there, as well as my future self. I love my readers SO MUCH, and the thought of letting them down in any way is really hard on me. So I can say that you should not expect another cliffhanger from me anytime soon.
That being said, I honestly didn’t think I was ending The Ark on a true cliffhanger when I wrote it. At the time, I really believed that the most important part of the story- Char’s internal journey, her fight with herself- was resolved, so it would be fine to leave an external plot thread dangling. All this to say, I’m doubly excited to pick up where I left off! I can’t wait for Char to go back into battle.
As far as what’s next for the series: The Ark is a planned trilogy. My amazing editor at HarperVoyager has since changed the title on Amazon to make this clear. She’s the best! The next book will be out in 2016, and I can’t wait to share its title with you soon.
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful questions! This has been really fun.
EXCERPT
On the last day of Earth, I couldn’t find my hairbrush. That probably seems like a silly thing to worry about, what with the imminent destruction of, well, everything, but my mom was always after me about my usual ratty ponytail. Normally, I’d ignore her. Or, if I were having a really bad day, I’d tell her what she could do with her hairbrush. But like I said, it was the last day of Earth. And I figured, since it was the last time she’d ever see me, I wanted it to go smoothly. I wanted her to remember me, if not fondly, then at least without anger.
A girl can dream.
I slipped out of my cell as soon as the door swung open. I’d done the same every day for the past month, and my family had yet to show up. Their OPT—Off-Planet Transport—took off in eighteen hours, so they still had time. Barely. I couldn’t blame them if they didn’t come. It wasn’t hard to imagine that they’d rather escape to the stars without so much as a backward glance at me, their big disappointment. Even my father’s influence couldn’t persuade the government to give me a spot on an OPT.
Turns out, when humankind is deciding which of its children to save, the last place it looks is in prison.
But I was pretty sure they’d come. West had said as much in his last transmission. The thought of my younger brother actually halted me mid-step, like one of those punches in the gut where you can’t breathe for a few seconds.
“Looking for something?” The lazy drawl floated out of the nearest cell.
Against my better instincts, I turned to see Cassa lying on her bunk, her arm draped across Kip. My Kip. Or at least, my ex-Kip. Whatever. In twenty-two hours, I wouldn’t have to think about him anymore.
See? Silver lining. And they called me a perpetual pessimist at my last psych workup.
They barely fit next to each other on the flimsy mattress, but that wasn’t the weird part. The guys’ ward was separated by a substantial metal wall. We were kept apart during evening hours, for obvious reasons. Not that anyone cared anymore. The med staff had been the first to go, followed by the cleaning crew, followed by the kitchen crew. To show you where girls like me fell on the government’s list of priorities, there was still a skeleton crew of guards lurking around, despite the fact that I hadn’t had a real meal for going on a week. The guards would be gone soon, too, and then there’d be no one in here but us chickens.
I figured either Kip had a key, or the guards had left already. A key could be useful. My curiosity got the best of me. “How’d he get in here before the first bell?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I got some tricks you ain’t seen, babe. Why don’t you join us? End of the world and all.”
The guards were gone, then. I felt a small trill of anxiety deep in my chest. If the guards were gone, my family was even less likely to show. But it was never smart to show fear. “The Pinball could be headed straight for this building, and I still wouldn’t be desperate enough to touch you. Oh, wait. Guess you don’t have to take my word for it.”
I turned to leave, but he continued. “Now is that any way to treat your dear ole partners? Be nice or I won’t give you back your stuff.”
“Ugh, you were in my room?” I flexed my shoulder blades, making sure my gun was still tightly secured between them.
“Don’t worry, Char. I didn’t handle the merchandise. Didn’t want to wake you up. Just lifted me a few keepsakes.” He pronounced my name the way I like: Char, as in charred. Something that got burned.
I wasn’t sure what Kip and Cassa were planning, but I knew I wouldn’t like it. They were thieves and liars. I would know. I used to be one of them. That was before the last job, when Cassa had attacked an elderly man in the home we were robbing. She’d kicked him until he stopped fighting back. Kip had called her off after a few licks, but I just stood there, staring. The old man looked at me, like right at me, while we made our getaway, and my stomach twisted into a knot so tight that I tasted bile. That was the moment I knew I wanted out.
But by then, no one believed me. Or, if they did, no one cared. Except for Kip and Cassa, of course. They’d taken the news pretty hard, to put it lightly.
If I lunged for the box, I could probably grab my hairbrush and get out of there. I wouldn’t have time for more than that. Then again, I’d be doing exactly what they expected, and I didn’t have time for delays. My family could be in the commissary any second now.
“Ahem. Seeing as it’s your last day of life, I might let you have one thing back,” said Kip.
“In exchange for what?”
“I’m hurt. All our time together, and you still don’t believe in my inherent generosity. But now that you mention it, I’ve got a hankering for some peanut butter crackers.”
“Sorry, Kip. I’m fresh out of food. Kinda like everyone else.”
“Nice try, Charrr.” He drew my name out, as though tasting it. “I saw them yesterday. Figured you were hiding them under your pillow when I couldn’t find them last night.”
“You figured wrong.”
All I could think about was my brother’s face. And how I had this one last chance to apologize to my parents, for everything. I shrugged and turned to leave.
That was probably a mistakeGoodreads ** Amazon ** Barnes&Noble
About the author:Laura grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she spent an excellent childhood playing make-believe with her two younger brothers.
The Ark is the direct result of those stories and a lifelong devotion to space-themed television.
It received a Work in Progress Grant from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Laura has a degree in French and a license to practice law, but both are frozen in carbonite at present. She lives in Texas with her family.
Earth Fleet never forgave Kin Roland’s failure at Hellsbreach. Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by the Fleet, Kin hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole.
Cover Artist: ProBookCovers
Earth Fleet never forgave Kin Roland’s failure at Hellsbreach. Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by the Fleet, Kin hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole.
When a distant space battle propels a ravaged Earth Fleet Armada through the same wormhole, a Reaper follows, hunting for the man who burned his home world. Kin fights to save a mysterious native of Crashdown from the Reaper and learns there are worse things in the galaxy than those hunting him. The end is coming and he is about to pay for a sin that will change the galaxy forever.
GUEST POST
Why to read /or write SF
A long time ago, in our very own galaxy, I started reading and watching science fiction for the pure entertainment value of the characters and stories. This was during the fantastic Age of Pong, and a little bit later, Space Invaders. The internet was science fiction and Captain Kirk and his crew carried flip phones. What I am trying to say here is that a person had to work to be entertained.
You have to be pretty darn bored to build a gravel and mud dam in the gutter and run straws through it to let excess water pressure to escape. I made swords out of sticks and piles of dirt were mountains, castles, and army forts. I never liked being bored. Reading and day dreaming were a God send. Later, I learned there was also a thing called nonfiction that conveyed useful information. I started reading in earnest when my dad paid me a dollar a book, and began with all of the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. That lasted for a few months. Once the habit was formed I started reading a lot of science fiction and fantasy.
So to answer the question, why read or write science fiction, I write in the genre because that is what I like to read. I read the genre because there are so many types of futuristic stories. It is always changing and fresh. Some are light-hearted fun. Others are full of hard facts and well thought out ideas that will probably become reality some day. Right now I am wearing a Fit Bit that tracks my heart rate and estimates calories needed for the day. My lap top is reaching out to touch the WiFi connection of the restaurant I sit in and my phone is alerting me to social media messages.
Times have changed since the Age of Pong. I don’t think any of this could have happened without imagination and creative speculation.
About the author:
Scott Moon loves audio books, especially the works of George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, Patrick O'Brian, John Ringo, David Weber, and Michael Connelly. He has been writing fantasy, science fiction, and urban fantasy thrillers for over thirty years. His professional background is law enforcement, including various tactical and investigative units. In 2005, he was part of a task force that arrested a serial killer who had been at large for over three decades.
18++ Danger lurks, and Braita’s lack of knowledge of the planet, Triaz, is now abundantly clear. On a mission to find her best friend, Jax, she must infiltrate the Crank Pit, a brutal complex where Mian enter, only to leave absent a heartbeat. 
Description:
Published: June 30th, 2015
“MY WORLD WAS FOREVER CHANGED.”
FALL
Thrown head first into a barbaric world she knows nothing of, Braita Valorn must adapt to a dark life as a slave of the Mian society–her existence depends on it.
SINK
Danger lurks, and Braita’s lack of knowledge of the planet, Triaz, is now abundantly clear. On a mission to find her best friend, Jax, she must infiltrate the Crank Pit, a brutal complex where Mian enter, only to leave absent a heartbeat.
STOP
Braita Valorn is stuck. She has no real freedom, her existence dependent on what the men of Triaz decide. But she desperately wants it to be, and will do anything to capture it.
RISE
Judgments are made, an archaic stand within Mian laws, and Braita finds herself charged with treason. But never one to sit during a battle, she risks her last chance of release with blackmail.
SOAR
Braita Valorn is a disaster walking. One mistake after another on the planet Triaz has landed her in trouble time and again.
Will Braita obtain her freedom?
Or will she finally accept a life she never asked for?
Author's Q&A
Q: What is Cold Mark about?
A: Cold Mark is a Scifi Romance story. 18-year-old Braita Valorn is thrust onto a barbaric planet. The fighting may be scorching on Triaz, but the men are even hotter. Braita’s life changes in a heartbeat, but two men ultimately claim said heart.
Q: So this is ménage story? With aliens?!
A: Yep. It’s sizzling with action—of all types.
Q: Um…do the aliens have an appropriate anatomy? *envisions a plastic Ken doll*
A: The ‘goods’ are all good. No worries. ;)
Q: Tell me a little about Braita.
A: Braita is a badass. She fights for her life. She battles for her freedom. Ultimately, she uses her own cunning to live as she wants. Even if she finds herself in sticky situations caused by her new adult age.
Q: Do these aliens she fights have special powers?
A: Yes. They’re fast. Like, blurring fast. They’re stronger than a human. They don’t mind ripping the heart right from a man’s chest. And they prefer the dark—sensitive eyes.
Q: Is Cold Mark already released?!
A: Yes. It’s available on Amazon. You can find it here: http://mybook.to/ColdMark
Goodreads ** Amazon ** Barnes&Noble
New York Times bestseller and award-winner, Scarlett Dawn is the author of the Forever Evermore new adult fantasy series, the Cold Mark new adult science fiction saga, and the Lion Security contemporary series.
She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.
